Location: Casole d'Elsa
Top Things to do in Casole d'Elsa
Top 10 Things to do in Casole d'Elsa, Italy
Casole d'Elsa [ˈkaːzole] is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Siena in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 50 kilometres (31 mi) southwest of Florence and about 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of Siena.
Restaurants in Casole d'Elsa
1. Hedonistic Hiking
Overall Ratings
5 based on 50 reviews
Hedonistic Hiking offers an exclusive selection of guided day hikes and tailor made holidays in Tuscany. Visit medieval Castles, boutique wineries, Romanesque churches and Renaissance villas and Gardens. Also available, small group guided walking tours in Tuscany, Piedmont, Cinque Terre and Emilia Romagna. Delightful accommodation, delicious regional food and fine local wines. Enthusiastic, knowledgeable and fun-loving guides offer a personal, caring service.
Reviewed By Melanie D - Harrogate, England, United Kingdom
This is by no means the easiest of Hedonistic Hiking's trips, and be warned that you do need to be physically fit and well kitted out with walking poles and good boots. Having said that, this is a spectacular walk, starting in France and ending...MoreThank you Melanie and congratulations on completing this hike, one of our most challenging! We had great fun researching the tour and it was wonderful to see the dream become a reality. We loved it too. Grazie mille e MERCI!
2. Buekke gelateria
Overall Ratings
5 based on 101 reviews
Reviewed By David B L - Los Angeles, California
Stopped in while driving in the countryside in the small town of Gracciano, and the tasty Gelato hit the spot. Many varied flavors made fresh and with delightful cones to enjoy one or two scoops of creamy delight. Enjoy! ...
3. Guardastelle Vineyard
Overall Ratings
5 based on 546 reviews
Welcome in our house! Walking distance from San Gimignano, one of the most important towns of Tuscany, during the wine tour you'll discover a part of Tuscany that few people knows. You'll understand how is the countrylife in this part of the world. I won't say what our tour includes or not.....reviews speaks for us! We wait to welcome you, as private or group. Reservation required to tour the farm.
Reviewed By Lena M
Just came back from a weekend in Toscana. The second night me and my husband stayed in Agriturismo Guardastelle situated on Sovestro in Poggios vineyard near San Gimignano.
We are in love with this place !!!A magic spot with incredible beautiful surroundings. The staff were really nice and professional and when we arrived we were offered a glas of wine and got help to find the way to our lovely room "Francesca" The room was in old style but with everything you needed. A sweet bathroom with generous offer of schampoo shower gel e.t.c. And this room really was a room with a view!! Beautiful to wake up and open the windows and look out.. The only negative thing for me is that the bed is a little to hard but this is very common in Italy so it´s just to be prepared and like it. :) Also a little pity that there is no restaurant so you have to take the car and find one. But the staff is very helpful and can give you names on good restaurants . Breakfast is good and you eat it in a charming room or outside with a stunning view .. The place has also a nice pool area perfect situated. Overall we are very pleased to have been here and can really recommend Agriturismo Guardastelle. And if you like taking photos you will "go bananas" Enjoy!
4. Fattoria il Palagio
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 21 reviews
Reviewed By careswell - Kansas City
My group of 5 randomly saw a sign at the main road for a vineyard and decided to pop in on a drive back from Volterra. We were greeted warmly although we did not have any reservation at all. We were presented with a lovely wine tasting and were impressed by their wine selection. In fact we ordered 2 cases of wine that day! Thanks for wonderful memories!
5. Fattoria Tegoni
Overall Ratings
5 based on 60 reviews
Tègoni Farm and horse stable is the perfect place to experience the joy of horseback riding, discover Tuscan countryside and taste our genuine local products.Come with your family to enjoy a horse lesson, a horseride outside in the country and finish with a genuine lunch or tasting of our homemade typical products! In our country farm you can also find organic extra virgin olive oil and high-quality cold cuts of porcine "Cinta Senese" breed. In our farm there is a big olive grove and a breeding of pigs of the special "Cinta Senese" breed, our pigs live in the woods in 8 hectares. Lunch and tasting are only upon reservation.
Reviewed By Karen E - Adelaide, Australia
We booked a three hour horse ride which I had found when searching for horse riding in Tuscany on the internet. All communication was very responsive and clear. We stayed at Volterra which made it a 50 min drive. On arrival the whole setup was amazing. These horses are very well looked after. Eric is a true professional horseman and very entertaining. We had a ride around in the indoor arena to show that we could ride and then off we went exploring the countryside. We got to do a lot of trotting and even cantering. Eric answered my husbands many questions, he spoke very good English. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience and would highly recommend this as a place to go. Eric also recommended a place for lunch in the local area which was very good. I cannot remember the other guides name who was with us, she is a student of Eric's but she was very pleasant also.
6. La Rocca di Staggia
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 238 reviews
In Sienese territory, just a few kilometres from Poggibonsi, heading towards Monteriggioni, stands a "Knight" on theVia Francigena, la Rocca di Staggia, the stones of which, like a book, tell the tale of five centuries of history.
Reviewed By ctbulldog90 - Pomfret, Connecticut
A circular walled town with 14 towers which is still intact. Interesting to see the walls and towers; not much in the inside except some shops but does have a couple of good restaurants. Excellent example of a walled defensive site used by Siena against the advances of Florence.
7. Museo Civico Archeologico e della Collegiata
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 46 reviews
The museum has two collections. The first is dedicated to Etruscan period: Attic kraters, bronze fibulae decorated with one of the earliest representations of boxing in Etruscan words, urns and vases. The second shows works of important artists from Middle Ages to Baroque: Marco Romano; Giacomo Pacchierotto; Alessandro Casolani and his family. An essential part of the visit to the Museum is in the church "Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta."
Reviewed By Laura L - Rome, Italy
a small museum, beautiful art, very kind and knowledgeable personnel.
two rooms about the Etrurians, specially the ones from the area and Volterra: their stone portraits look quite different from those around Latium (much more south).
And some splendid rooms with art from 1200 to 1600. Incredible, vibrant colors and gold.
some art was around here, in the several churches, some was in the deposits of the Pinacoteca of Siena. Really worth going, and taking those reluctant ones in your family: it is small, inexpensive, and their eyes will thank you for the rest of their life.
8. Foresta di Berignone
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 40 reviews
Reviewed By Bruno B - Kortenberg, Belgium
This place is very hard to find, we asked several people, including our hotel (Relax Hotel Aquaviva) and they couldn't tell us where to park our car. So we were told to drive to Pomorance (35 minute drive). There we saw several cars along the road. We stopped and found a walking road leading to a river. We passed a great afternoon swimming :)
9. Historic Centre of San Gimignano
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3 reviews
Reviewed By CzarEmmanuel - Manila, Philippines
Italy perhaps boasts of the most number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world and San Gimignano is one of them. It is a small town famous for its Medieval structures, beginning with its surrounding walls, old houses, churches, square and, of course, "house towers". Its location up on a hill makes this town postcard perfect! It offers you a great background for photo ops!
Walking through its narrow streets really brings you back in time. Although this town had far remote origins (3rd century BC), the structures that you'll see here are mostly Medieval (12th century onwards). The town square is particularly beautiful, with all its old houses, bars and restaurants, souvenir shops, etc. You should try some of the local vernaccia wine here (which is very sweet) and its homemade ice cream! :D
One particular place I would recommend is the Church of Saint Augustine. Its apse is painted with frescoes dating back to the 14th-15th centuries. They depict episodes from the life of St. Augustine and their vivid colors are perfectly preserved! Another curious place of interest in town is its torture museum! On display, of course, are instruments used during the Medieval period to torture criminals.
Of all the structures of San Gimignano, the town is famous especially for its number of so-called "house towers". Fourteen out of the original 72 of such house towers have survived. They literally tower high above the town (up to 70 meters tall!) and are visible even from kilometers away. A visit to this small town is highly recommended for lovers of Medieval history, art and architecture!
10. Colle Val d'Elsa
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 596 reviews
Reviewed By Stan C - Blandford Forum, United Kingdom
Very attractive, nice size, easy to walk around, easy to park (unique among these kind of towns).
After the crowds of Florence, Siena and San Gimignano this high hil town is a delight. With some streets where you have great views in both directions it is exciting. Great Architecture, some rather unique buildings.
Best of all it is easy to park (even partly do in the town) and parking is free. Relax, have space,peace and quiet, and see an old beautifully fortified town that has real locals and mainly locals lving in it. Not to miss!
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